A Beginner's Guide to Philippine Government Service (and other matters)

Category: Civil Service Matters

Just recently, I came across this blog of young journalists who write so beautifully about various topics. As I continued reading one post after another, my attention was caught by the essays they wrote about their employment suit against GMA Network, Inc. Four of them joined a team of 110 brave journalists who decided to cry foul over GMA’s practice of hiring them on long-term and repeated contract basis, which effectively deprived them of employee benefits under the law.

Their suit was big news in the Philippines early last year and gained similarly situated journalists their much needed attention. Good news is, there are many Supreme Court decisions which can be used to their favor such as this one promulgated just this April 20, 2015, involving ABS-CBN Corporation “talents”. Bad news is, their bold move temporarily cost them their jobs. Continue reading →

Sick leave is a type of leave benefit granted to government employees on account of sickness or disability on his/her part, or that of the members of his/her immediate family (click here to learn how sick leave credits are earned). Continue reading →

One of the big hazards that exam takers face all over the world is the temptation to seek instant gratification through cheating. I was reminded of this when I came across a news clip about the sophisticated cheating in China’s October 2014 national licensing examination for pharmacists. Continue reading →

In the seminar I attended earlier today about leave administration, some of the participants particularly wanted to know the difference between Compensatory Overtime Credit (COC) and Compensatory Time Off (CTO). As the topic is still to be covered by succeeding speakers, I opted not to explain the little that what I know about it. But, for the sake of my blog’s followers and e-mail subscribers who are slowly growing in number (yeyyy!), I tried to simplify in this post the basic principles of COCs and CTOs . Read on.

> CSC has jurisdiction over cases filed directly with it, regardless of who initiated the complaint. Correspondingly, CSC has jurisdiction over administrative cases filed directly with it against officials of a chartered state university or college. Republic Act No. 8292 does not remove employees and officials of SUCs from CSC’s ambit. Instead, this original jurisdiction is shared with the Board of Regents. Continue reading →

The Commission en banc of the Commission of Human Rights approved the appointment of Maricelle M. Cortes as Information Officer V. Eligio P. Mallari – Maricelle’s father, was a CHR Commissioner but he abstained from voting and instead requested CHR to render an opinion on the legality of Maricelle’s appointment. Continue reading →

> The CSC has standing as real party-in-interest and can appeal CA’s decisions modifying or reversing them, when it would have an adverse impact on the integrity of the civil service. This is the Dacoycoy Doctrine (G.R. No. 135805, April 29, 1999) and it remains applicable. Continue reading →